Next Autoworks: The Curse of the Solyndra DOE Loan Guarantee

That Guide factory was intended to be converted into an auto assembly plant that would eventually employ 1,400 workers. The company was founded by Frank Varasano, a former Oracle executive (Ray Lane of KP is a former Oracle CEO). Mazda Miata designer Tom Matano is the design director at the firm. And stepping into a hotseat, Kathleen Ligocki was just named CEO of Next Autoworks in October, replacing interim CEO Ray Lane, who will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board. Ligocki previously served as CEO of Tower Automotive and GS Motors and led global divisions of Ford Motor Company. The former CEO, Varasano, parted with the firm after the DOE rejected an initial ATVM application in 2010. Just what Next Autoworks is (or was) implementing is unclear. Given the comments made by Lane in 2009, it seems like V-Vehicle's innovations were largely in its design and manufacturing...